A Sand County Almanac

Image Credit: WikiCommon License CC 2.0.

In the book he writes about his experiences, trials, and tribulation, on 80 acres of former farmland in Wisconsin.

American Woodcock. Image Credit: WikiCommon License CC 2.0.

Despite being published in 1949, the work is still relevant today. With essays such as “Land Ethic” and his musings on Chickadees (as well as other wildlife), there is something within the pages for every reader.

Though you might be environmentally-minded and in touch with the wilderness, I promise, after reading “A Sand County Almanac”you will notice an added benefit to your own experiences in the wild.

While reading it, you’ll feel joy at having shared experiences spanning across decades with the author. There’s nothing exotic to it. It takes place in backyard-America and it’s very accessible.

Striped Skunk. Image Credit: WikiCommon License CC 2.0.

The whiff of a skunk will seem different to you, dreams of a Woodcock’s mating ritual will dance in your head, and you’ll consider Leopold’s concern for improper land management — nearly 70 years ago — and compare it with today.

Below: footage of an American Woodcock by Bill Hubick. Check out the Maryland Biodiversity Project here.

“Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the wolf.”
― Aldo Leopold

Image Credit: WikiCommon License CC 2.0.

Leopold died in 1948. Although, he is gone, his legacy continues. The skunks, birds, and land concerns we wrote about all those decades ago, still exist today.